Indigenous Healing Gardening Ideas Five Plants to Grow
Five most popular indigenous healing garden plants are aloe, African ginger, milkweed, cancer bush and devils claw root.
The five most popular herbs used for centuries in South African indigenous healing medicine are aloe, African ginger, milkweed, cancer bush and devils claw root.
Aloe Vera
Aloe leaves are traditionally used for stomach complaints, arthritis, eczema, conjunctivitis, hypertension, and stress. They are also used to treat skin irritations and bruises.
Aloe gel is the clear, jelly-like substance found in the inner part of the aloe plant leaf. Aloe latex comes from just under the plant's skin and is yellow in color. The useful parts of aloe are the gel and latex. The gel is obtained from the cells in the center of the leaf, and the latex is obtained from the cells just beneath the leaf skin.
Aloe gel is the clear, jelly-like substance found in the inner part of the aloe plant leaf. Aloe latex comes from just under the plant's skin and is yellow in color. The useful parts of aloe are the gel and latex. The gel is obtained from the cells in the center of the leaf, and the latex is obtained from the cells just beneath the leaf skin.
Aloe vera’s use can
be traced back 6,000 years to early Egypt, where the plant was depicted on
stone carvings. Known as the plant of immortality, aloe was presented as a
funeral gift to pharaohs.
African Ginger
Fresh roots or rhizomes of African ginger are chewed to treat the flu in some parts of Africa. It can also be used for colds, asthma, to treat malaria and by women during menstruation. The plant has also been traditionally used as an appetite suppressant and sedative.
African ginger is
darker in color and higher in oil content, giving a more pungent aroma with a
strong scent between eucalyptus
and rosemary. It has a high oil content
and level of spiciness; therefore, it is usually preferred for the production
of oils and balsams.
The ginger essential oil purchased from the shop is most
likely African ginger and not the lighter colored ginger from the produce
section of the supermarket.
Milkweed
Stems of the milkweed plant are widely used as an appetite suppressant, thirst quencher, mood enhancer and as a cure for severe abdominal cramps, hemorrhoids, tuberculosis, indigestion, hypertension, and diabetes.
Over 450 insects are
known to feed on some portion of the plant. Numerous insects are attracted to
the nectar-laden flowers and it is not at all uncommon to see flies, beetles,
ants, bees, wasps, and butterflies on the flowers at the same time.
Strong fiber can be
extracted from the stem, which is durable underwater. Giant milkweed stems are
kept in the seawater until they become soft and then fiber is extracted from
the softened stems. This fiber is so strong that it is commonly used to make
loops in the fishing lines from which hooks are suspended.
Fiber extracted from
the stems was once used as a bowstring. Wood is used to make fine quality
charcoal and gunpowder. Floss obtained from the fruit is used to stuff
mattresses. The plant as a whole can be allowed to mulch in the soil to provide
protection to crops against soil-borne microbes.
In traditional
medicine, five parts of the plant, namely, roots, bark, leaves, flowers, and
fruits are used to treat rheumatism. Leaves are considered as a good pain
reliever. The matured leaves are smeared with sesame oil, warmed and pressed on
aching body parts to provide relief from pain.
Cancer Bush
Leaves of the cancer bush plant have been traditionally used to treat fever, poor appetite, indigestion, gastritis, peptic ulcer, dysentery, cancer, diabetes, colds and flu, cough, asthma, chronic bronchitis, kidney and liver conditions, rheumatism, heart failure, urinary tract infections as well as stress and anxiety.
It is a widespread, drought-resistant plant that grows in the Western, Eastern, and
Northern Cape provinces and some areas of KwaZulu-Natal South Africa. The Cape Floristic
Region, one of the richest areas for plants in the world, is home to the
Cancer Bush plant.
Cancer Bush is a
medium-sized shrub, with fine grayish-green leaves and red, butterfly-shaped
flowers. Its seedpods are large and balloon-like with a slightly reddish tint. Many
of its names also refer to medicinal use, such as kankerbos cancer bush;
Afrikaans, insiswa dispels darkness; Zulu, phetola to change; Tswana, and
lerumo lamadi spear of the blood; North Sotho.
In South Africa, healers,
such as herbalists, diviners, bush doctors, Rastafarians, alternative and allopathic
medicine practitioners, and regular folks, use Cancer Bush. Cancer Bush is
today still one of the most commonly used medicinal plants in the Western Cape of
South Africa.
Devil’s Claw Root
The roots of devil's claw have been traditionally used for treating diseases of the liver, kidneys, and bladder. It can also be used to stimulate appetite, and for indigestion. There is some
moderate evidence that devil's claw, an herb native to Africa, is beneficial
for osteoarthritis of the spine, hip, and knee.
Devil’s claw, scientifically known as Harpagophytum procumbens, is a plant native to South Africa. It owes its ominous name to its fruit, which bears several small, hook-like projections. Traditionally, the roots of this plant have been used to treat a wide range of ailments, such as fever, pain, arthritis, and indigestion.
Devil’s claw, scientifically known as Harpagophytum procumbens, is a plant native to South Africa. It owes its ominous name to its fruit, which bears several small, hook-like projections. Traditionally, the roots of this plant have been used to treat a wide range of ailments, such as fever, pain, arthritis, and indigestion.
Devil's claw
alternative names are unicorn plant, double claw, Arizona devil’s claw, and red devil’s
claw. The plant has a long
history of use as food and fiber by native peoples and is a flowering plant of the sesame family.
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Aloe leaves are traditionally used in indigenous healing gardens
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Natural Aloe Water Recipe
Ingredients
3 thick aloe leaves
2 cups water
Directions
Cut aloe leaves lengthwise and scrape gel off aloe leaves into a cup with a tight fitting lid. Add water and shake well. Store in the refrigerator up to 3 days. Drink mixture 1-2 times daily to help flush out toxins
from the body.
